Conservation. Renewable energy. Mineral resources. Earth science is a crucial topic these days. Get the qualifications to teach it and you’ll be in high demand!Teach today's youth about Earth’s precious resources.

In 2017, the National Council on Teacher Quality ranked WGU’s secondary teacher-prep programs in the top 1% of 2,481 universities nationwide.

Ranked in the top 1% among 2,481 programs nationwide by the National Council on Teacher Quality.

Overview

An affordable, online geoscience degree that prepares you to be a licensed earth science teacher.

Geoscience (also called earth science) explores society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and the health of the environment. Geoscience teachers need to have the up-to-date knowledge, skills, and credentials to help young minds develop a passion for understanding the physical aspects of the Earth, including its composition, structure, and processes.

WGU's online, NCATE-accredited geoscience teaching degree program focuses on competencies including astronomy, geology, meteorology, and oceanography. Our curriculum is designed to prepare you for a meaningful career teaching geosciences in middle schools and high schools across America.

71% of graduates finish in

2–4 years

WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.

On average, students transfer

29 credits

Discover a world of opportunities for earth science teachers!

WGU's bachelor's degree program for aspiring geosciences teachers is an affordable, online program that leads to teacher licensure. You will study general science, advanced geoscience, and teaching methods necessary to become a highly qualified earth science teacher.

What you’ll learn: the knowledge and skills needed to become a licensed geosciences teacher.

WGU's bachelor's degree program for aspiring geosciences teachers is an affordable, online program that leads to teacher licensure. You will study general science, advanced geoscience, and teaching methods necessary to become a highly qualified earth science teacher.

To ensure WGU graduates acquire the knowledge and skills sought by today’s schools, this online geoscience degree was developed with significant input from experts and educational leaders who serve on our Education Program Council. Our B.A. Science (Geoscience) program is nationally recognized by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).

Core Subject Areas

Lower-division courses may be cleared through transfer credit. Following are some examples:

A supported, personalized experience.

WGU is unlike any university you’ve experienced before—in the best possible way! Take a look at what we mean:

FacultyLearningAssessmentIn-Classroom ExperienceAlumni Support

Faculty

SUPPORTING YOU: Faculty focused on students.

WGU faculty members have one goal in mind: your success. A Program Mentor is your individually assigned faculty member, providing guidance and instruction from the day you start to the day you graduate. In addition, Course Instructors provide subject-matter instruction and support, typically one-on-one, exactly when you need it.

Learning

YOUR ROADMAP: A personalized learning plan.

Your program is made up of a series of courses, each a personalized journey toward subject mastery. A preassessment provides insight into what you already know. You’ll then learn what you still need to learn, using online learning resources—available 24/7—along with one-on-one or cohort-based faculty instruction.

Assessment

PROVE IT: Show you know your stuff.

WGU measures learning, not time, so each course in your program culminates in an assessment—a test, paper, project, or presentation that allows you to prove what you know. As soon as you’re ready, take the assessment—including the ability to take proctored exams from the comfort of your own home— via webcam, any time of day!

In-Classroom Experience

REAL-WORLD: Experience in a classroom.

Most of your program will be completed online but all teacher licensure programs—and many graduate-level programs for already-licensed teachers—also include the opportunity to observe and practice in a K–12 classroom setting. We’ll help you set everything up at a school near you.

Alumni Support

ALWAYS a Night Owl.

Continued support after you graduate includes many opportunities for professional development and enrichment, career support, and networking. WGU Night Owls may be independent learners, but they also become highly engaged in our active alumni community through apps, groups, and events.

The accreditation you need, plus industry respect and recognition.

One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.

Accredited

WGU's Teachers College is the first exclusively online university to receive accreditation for its degree programs that lead to teacher licensure from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE, now CAEP).

Paired with WGU's university-wide accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, these accreditations assure your teaching degree from WGU will be highly respected.

Respected

“After graduating from WGU, and through all the rigor and quality of instruction that I received in the educational field, I was awarded Hawaii District Teacher of the Year in 2012.”

Amoreena Nestman M.A. Teaching – Elementary Education

Recognized

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) in 2017 placed WGU’s Teachers College in the top 1% nationwide for the quality of its secondary teacher-preparation programs. This follows several other NCTQ recognitions, including the nation’s #1 best value for teacher education in 2015.

Accredited

Respected

Recognized

Our programs check all the boxes. If this degree is your goal, get started toward becoming a student today—programs start the first of each month.

When we say affordable, we mean it.

$295 per-term fees include Resource Fee of $145 (covers all e-books and learning resources, saving you hundreds per term) and Program Fee of $150 (covers costs of supervised field experiences). This program also requires a one-time fee of $350 to cover the cost of an at-home science lab (billed separately along with the first term's tuition). Tuition and fees effective January 1, 2018.

Control the cost of your program: Our tuition links cost to time.

By charging per term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees.

Flat-rate tuition of $3,485 per term links cost to time.

By charging per 6-month term rather than per credit hour—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or can learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees.

There's help if you need it.

Financial aid is available.

Our goal: You graduate with little or no debt.

The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2016 (among those who borrowed) was less than half the national average. WGU’s three-pronged approach to keeping your debt low and your return on investment quick: One, provide useful information and advice on responsible borrowing before enrollment. Two, keep tuition low while you're enrolled. And three, offer degree programs that lead to better-paying jobs after graduation.

Degree Cost Comparison*

Online For-Profit University

Other Online Nonprofit University

WGU

Earn your geoscience teaching degree for about half what you’d pay at another university.

Low tuition and the ability to accelerate make WGU more affordable than most other schools. When you compare us with other programs, WGU’s Bachelor of Arts Science (Geosciences) degree program offers rigorous curriculum with competitive post-graduation results for around half what you'd pay at another university—or even less.

A nationally recognized curriculum designed to help you become a highly qualified earth science teacher.

At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to ensure your degree is proof you really know your stuff.

Every course focuses on a set of clearly defined competencies that you must prove you’ve learned—through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. Demonstrating mastery is how you pass a course, so learning what it takes to be outstanding in your career is at the heart of WGU’s Bachelor of Arts Science (Geosciences) curriculum.

That means that what you learn will be directly applicable in your science classroom—and in fueling your students’ passion for their natural environment. It’s all about real-world applicability so every moment spent studying is time well spent.

Courses in this program.

This program is composed of the following courses. Some may be waived through transfer from your previous college experience. The rest you will typically complete one at a time as you make your way through your program, working with your Program Mentor each term to build your personalized Degree Plan. You’ll work through each course as quickly as you can study and learn the material. As soon as you’re ready, you’ll pass the assessment, complete the course, and move on. This means that you can finish as many courses as you're able in a term at no additional cost.

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Foundations of Teaching

Foundational Perspectives of Education

This course provides an introduction to the historical, legal, and philosophical foundations of education. Current educational trends, reform movements, major federal and state laws, legal and ethical responsibilities, and an overview of standards-based curriculum are the focus of the course. The course of study presents a discussion of changes and challenges in contemporary education. It covers the diversity found in American schools, introduces emerging educational technology trends, and provides an overview of contemporary topics in education.

Psychology for Educators

This course prepares candidates to meet the expectations of society and prepares future educators to support classroom practice with research-validated concepts. The course helps future educators to create a framework for refining teaching skills that are focused on the learner, through engaged inquiry of integrating theory, critical issues in psychology, classroom applications with diverse populations, assessment, educational technology, and reflective teaching.

Fundamentals of Diversity, Inclusion, and Exceptional Learners

Students will learn the history of inclusion and develop practical strategies for modifying instruction, in accordance with legal expectations, to meet the needs of a diverse population of learners. This population includes learners with disabilities, gifted and talented learners, culturally diverse learners, and English language learners.

Classroom Management, Engagement, and Motivation

Students will learn the foundations for effective classroom management as well as strategies for creating a safe, positive learning environment for all learners. Students will be introduced to systems that promote student self-awareness, self-management, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. In this course, students will engage practical application via 10 hours of video classroom observations. Students will reflect on how teachers use rules/procedures to maximize student learning and on what makes a highly effective classroom environment. As part of a culminating experience in this course, students will, through the video observation reflections, describe their current teaching philosophy related to classroom environment and management.

In this course, students demonstrate competency in the basic concepts, logic, and issues involved in statistical reasoning. Topics include summarizing and analyzing data, sampling and study design, and probability.

English Composition I

English Composition I introduces learners to the types of writing and thinking that are valued in college and beyond. Students will practice writing in several genres with emphasis placed on writing and revising academic arguments. Instruction and exercises in grammar, mechanics, research documentation, and style are paired with each module so that writers can practice these skills as necessary.
Comp I is a foundational course designed to help students prepare for success at the college level.
There are no prerequisites for English Composition I.

College Algebra

This course provides further application and analysis of algebraic concepts and functions through mathematical modeling of real-world situations. Topics include: real numbers, algebraic expressions, equations and inequalities, graphs and functions, polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, and systems of linear equations.

English Composition II

English Composition II introduces undergraduate students to research writing. It is a foundational course designed to help students prepare for advanced writing within the discipline and to complete the capstone. Specifically, this course will help students develop or improve research, reference citation, document organization, and writing skills. English Composition I or equivalent is a prerequisite for this course.

Introduction to Communication

This introductory communication course allows students to become familiar with the fundamental communication theories and practices necessary to engage in healthy professional and personal relationships. Students will survey human communication on multiple levels and critically apply the theoretical grounding of the course to interpersonal, intercultural, small group, and public presentational contexts. The course also encourages students to consider the influence of language, perception, culture, and media on their daily communicative interactions. In addition to theory, students will engage in the application of effective communication skills through systematically preparing and delivering an oral presentation. By practicing these fundamental skills in human communication, students become more competent communicators as they develop more flexible, useful, and discriminatory communicative practices in a variety of contexts.

Human Growth and Development Across the Lifespan

This course introduces students to human development across the lifespan. This will include an introductory survey of cognitive, psychological, and physical growth. Students will gain an understanding in regards to the emergence of personality, identity, gender and sexuality, social relationships, emotion, language, and moral development through life. This will include milestones such as education, achievement, work, dying, and death.

Survey of United States History

This course presents a broad and thematic survey of U.S. history from European colonization to the mid-twentieth century. Students will explore how historical events and major themes in American history have affected a diverse population.

Introduction to Humanities

This introductory humanities course allows students to practice essential writing, communication, and critical thinking skills necessary to engage in civic and professional interactions as mature, informed adults. Whether through studying literature, visual and performing arts, or philosophy, all humanities courses stress the need to form reasoned, analytical, and articulate responses to cultural and creative works. Studying a wide variety of creative works allows students to more effectively enter the global community with a broad and enlightened perspective.

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General Science Content

Introduction to Biology

This course is a foundational introduction to the biological sciences. The overarching theories of life from biological research are explored as well as the fundamental concepts and principles of the study of living organisms and their interaction with the environment. Key concepts include how living organisms use and produce energy; how life grows, develops, and reproduces; how life responds to the environment to maintain internal stability; and how life evolves and adapts to the environment.

Integrated Physical Sciences

This course provides students with an overview of the basic principles and unifying ideas of the physical sciences: physics, chemistry, and Earth sciences. Course materials focus on scientific reasoning and practical and everyday applications of physical science concepts to help students integrate conceptual knowledge with practical skills.

Natural Science Lab

This course gives you an introduction to using the scientific method and engaging in scientific research to reach conclusions about the natural world. You will design and carry out an experiment to investigate a hypothesis by gathering quantitative data.

General Physics

This course provides a broad overview of the principles of mechanics, thermodynamics, wave motion, modern physics, and electricity and magnetism and invites students to apply them by solving problems, performing labs, and reflecting on concepts and ideas.

Geology I: Physical

Geology I: Physical provides undergraduate students seeking initial licensure or endorsement in secondary science education with an introduction to minerals and rocks, the physical features of the Earth, and the internal and surface processes that shape those features. This course has no prerequisites.

Ecology and Environmental Science

Ecology and Environmental Science is an introductory course for undergraduate students seeking initial licensure or endorsement in secondary or middle grade science education. The course explores the relationships between organisms and their environment, including population ecology, communities, adaptations, distributions, interactions, and the environmental factors controlling these relationships. This course has no prerequisites.

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Chemistry Content

Chemistry with Lab

Chemistry for undergraduates provides students seeking initial teacher licensure in middle school science, physics, biology, or the geosciences with an introduction to the field of chemistry, the branch of science that studies the composition, structure, properties, and behavior of matter. Designed for those not majoring in chemistry education, this course highlights how the topics covered can be applied within various branches of science. This course provides students with opportunities to examine the electronic structure of atoms, study periodic trends, name chemical compounds, write chemical formulas, determine the structure of molecules, balance chemical reactions, and discover the changing states of matter. Laboratory experiences facilitate the study of matter and the application of laboratory safety and maintenance procedures. Concepts in Science for undergraduates is a prerequisite for this course.

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Geosciences Content

Geology II: Earth Systems

Geology II: Earth Systems provides undergraduate students seeking licensure or endorsement in secondary science education with an examination of the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere, and the dynamic equilibrium of these systems over geologic time. This course also examines the history of Earth and its life-forms, with an emphasis in meteorology. A prerequisite for this course is Geology I: Physical.

Astronomy

Astronomy provides undergraduate students seeking initial licensure or endorsement in secondary or middle grade science education with essential knowledge of astronomy and explores Western history and basic physics of astronomy; phases of the moon and seasons; composition and properties of solar system bodies; stellar evolution and remnants; properties and scale of objects and distances within the universe; and introductory cosmology. A prerequisite for this course is General Physics.

The Ocean Systems

In this course, learners investigate the complex ocean system by looking at the way its components—atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere—interact. Specific topics include: origins of Earth’s oceans and the early history of life; physical characteristics and geologic processes of the ocean floor; chemistry of the water molecule; energy flow between air and water, and how ocean surface currents and deep circulation patterns affect weather and climate; marine biology and why ecosystems are an integral part of the ocean system; the effects of human activity; and the role of professional educators in teaching about ocean systems.

Earth Science: Content Knowledge

This course covers the advanced content knowledge that a secondary Earth Science teachers is expected to know and understand. Topics include basic scientific principles of Earth and Space Sciences, tectonics and internal Earth processes, Earth materials and surface processes, history of the Earth and its Life-Forms, Earth's atmosphere and hydrosphhere, and astronomy.

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Science Education

Science, Technology, and Society

Science, Technology, and Society explores the ways in which science influences and is influenced by society and technology. A humanistic and social endeavor, science serves the needs of ever-changing societies by providing methods for observing, questioning, discovering, and communicating information about the physical and natural world. This course prepares educators to explain the nature and history of science, the various applications of science, and the scientific and engineering processes used to conduct investigations, make decisions, and solve problems. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Science Methods

Science Methods provides undergraduate students seeking initial licensure or endorsement in the sciences for grades 5-12 with an introduction to science teaching methods and laboratory safety training. Course content focuses on designing and teaching with the three dimensions of science: disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices. Laboratory safety training and certification will include the proper use of personal protective equipment and safe laboratory practices and procedures in science classrooms. This course has no prerequisites.

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Pedagogy

Introduction to Instructional Planning and Presentation

Students will develop a basic understanding of effective instructional principles and how to differentiate instruction in order to elicit powerful teaching in the classroom.

Secondary Reading Instruction and Interventions

Secondary Reading Instruction and Intervention explores the comprehensive, student-centered Response to Intervention (RTI) assessment and intervention model used to identify and address the needs of learners in middle school and high school who struggle with reading comprehension and/or information retention. Course content provides educators with effective strategies designed to scaffold instruction and help learners develop increased skill in the following areas: reading, vocabulary, text structures and genres, and logical reasoning related to the academic disciplines. This course has no prerequisites.

Instructional Planning and Presentation in Science

Students will continue to build instructional planning skills with a focus on selecting appropriate materials for diverse learners, selecting age- and ability- appropriate strategies for the content areas, promoting critical thinking, and establishing both short- and long- term goals

Secondary Disciplinary Literacy

Secondary Disciplinary Literacy examines teaching strategies designed to help learners in middle and high school improve upon the literacy skills required to read, write, and think critically while engaging content in different academic disciplines. Themes include exploring how language structures, text features, vocabulary, and context influence reading comprehension across the curriculum. Course content highlights strategies and tools designed to help teachers assess the reading comprehension and writing proficiency of learners and provides strategies to support students' reading and writing success in all curriculum areas. This course has no prerequisites.

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Field Experience

Preclinical Experiences in Science

Preclinical Experiences in Science provides students the opportunity to observe and participate in a wide range of in-classroom teaching experiences in order to develop the skills and confidence necessary to be an effective teacher. Students will reflect on and document the 75 hours of in-classroom observation and experience in their performance assessments. Prior to entering the classroom for the observations, students will be required to meet several requirements including a cleared background check, passing scores on the state or WGU required basic skills exam and a completed resume.

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Demonstration Teaching

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Science, Observations 1 and 2

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Science involves a series of classroom performance observations by the host teacher and clinical supervisor that develop comprehensive performance data about the teacher candidate’s skills.

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Science involves a series of classroom performance observations by the host teacher and clinical supervisor that develop comprehensive performance data about the teacher candidate’s skills.

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Science, Observations 4 and 5

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Science involves a series of classroom performance observations by the host teacher and clinical supervisor that develop comprehensive performance data about the teacher candidate’s skills.

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Science, Observation 6 and Final

Supervised Demonstration Teaching in Science involves a series of classroom performance observations by the host teacher and clinical supervisor that develop comprehensive performance data about the teacher candidate’s skills.

Teacher Performance Assessment in Science

The Teacher Performance Assessment is a culmination of the wide variety of skills learned during your time in the Teachers College at WGU. In order to be a competent and independent classroom teacher, you will showcase a collection of your content, planning, instructional, and reflective skills in this professional assessment.

Professional Portfolio

You will create an online teaching portfolio that includes professional artifacts (e.g., resume and Philosophy of Teaching Statement) that demonstrate the skills you have acquired throughout your Demonstration Teaching experience.

Cohort Seminar

Cohort Seminar provides mentoring and supports teacher candidates during their demonstration teaching period by providing weekly collaboration and instruction related to the demonstration teaching experience. It facilitates their demonstration of competence in becoming reflective practitioners, adhering to ethical standards, practicing inclusion in a diverse classroom, exploring community resources, building collegial and collaborative relationships with teachers, and considering leadership and supervisory skills.

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Science

Concepts in Science

Concepts in Science for undergraduates provides students seeking a bachelor’s degree and initial teacher licensure in science education with an introduction to essential science themes present within and across all science disciplines, including chemistry, physics, biology, and the geosciences. These themes include comprehending the magnitude of the physical and natural world, analyzing and converting measurements, understanding the basic nature and behavior of matter and energy, examining atomic structure, identifying and naming basic types of chemical bonds, and analyzing and interpreting scientific data. Concepts in Science provides a solid foundation for future, in-depth, scientific studies and should be taken prior to any other science content course. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Plan to work hard: Program requirements and expectations.

The B.A. Science (Geosciences 5–12) program is a mostly online program that you will complete by studying and working independently with instruction and support from WGU faculty. You will be expected to complete at least 12 competency units each 6-month term. (One course is typically 3 or 4 units.)

The first person you speak with at WGU will be your Enrollment Counselor, an expert in your program who can explain all the requirements and expectations in more detail. You can also read more about each course in the Program Guide.

State-specific licensure requirements: Each state in the U.S. has specific testing requirements that must be met or completed in addition to completing your teaching degree program at WGU. Teacher licensure requirements vary depending on state laws and may include a number of factors, such as:

Preclinical Experiences. Participate in a wide range of in-classroom teaching experiences through at least 75 hours of in-classroom observation.

Demonstration Teaching. To help you prepare to work in classrooms, this program includes a student teaching component (we call it Demonstration Teaching, or DT). DT is a full-time, supervised, in-classroom experience of a minimum of 12–20 weeks during which you will be hosted by an experienced teacher and observed by a Clinical Supervisor. Your host teacher will evaluate your performance based on accepted professional standards. Learn more.

Professional Portfolio. Your portfolio will include your resume and Philosophy of Teaching Statement and serve as a way to showcase the skills you have acquired throughout your degree program and Demonstration Teaching.

Home Science Lab. You will receive a self-contained laboratory kit to complete college lab experiments at home.

We offer degrees for in-demand careers that the knowledge and skills you need to succeed. Give your résumé the boost it needs!

Earn an earth science teaching degree created by experts in teaching geosciences.

To ensure our teaching degrees are consistent with the expectations of today’s schools, we develop courses with input from councils composed of nationally recognized experts in education. Council members offer guidance on key competencies to be expected from successful WGU graduates.

The WGU Difference

A different way to learn: Degree programs designed to fit your life—and all the demands on your time.

Professional responsibilities. Family obligations. Personal commitments. At WGU, we understand schedules are tight and often unpredictable for adult students. That’s why we offer a flexible, personalized approach to how education should be. No rigid class schedules. Just a solid, career-focused math teaching program that meshes with your current lifestyle. You'll be challenged. You'll work hard. But if you commit yourself and put in the hours needed, WGU makes it possible for you to earn a highly respected degree as a busy working adult.

Designed for busy adults.

At WGU, you’re not committed to attend class at a certain time, complete homework on a given schedule, or log “attendance” hours (with the exception of in-classroom demonstration teaching and pre-clinical experiences). You’ll earn your degree by proving what you’ve learned in class and what you already know from your work and life experience. How quickly you progress is largely up to you.

Once you’ve mastered your coursework, you’ll prove your competency through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. You’ll build solid professional credentials specifically designed to help you prepare to become a highly qualified middle school or high school math teacher.

Competency-Based Education (CBE)

How it helps you

Efficient

Save time and money by focusing your efforts where they matter the most.

How much do you already know? Today’s adult students come from different professional backgrounds with varying levels of knowledge and experience. Competency-based education empowers you to take the most efficient path to complete your studies.

Flexible

Learn on your own terms.

What works best for you? No two students—or their schedules—are the same. Whether you’re at your best in the early morning or more energized when you get home from work, your study schedule can be personalized to accommodate your lifestyle and responsibilities.

Results

Know you’re learning real-world skills.

Will your teaching credentials be recognized? Today's schools look for teachers with the knowledge, skills, and experience to help students understand how to solve problems. WGU’s online teaching degree programs includes a student teaching component to prepare you for real-world classrooms.

Finish courses by proving what you know, as soon as you’re ready.

With competency-based education at WGU, success is measured by actual learning, not class time. You advance by demonstrating that you've mastered the course subject matter—whether you learned it through your study at WGU or picked up that knowledge through years of work experience.

Your progress through a course is driven by you.

How quickly you learn

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The time you devote to studying

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How much previous knowledge you bring

See it in action.

Play the game to see how a competency-based course works at WGU.

competency, noun

Demonstrated knowledge, skill, or ability required to advance in a degree program.

At WGU, course competencies are defined by an expert council, including employers.

For this course, there are 3 areas you need to prove competency in.

Start

First, let's take a pre‑assessment.

Determine what you already know from previous work and education experience, and where you need to focus your studies. Prove your competency in 3 areas in this exercise.

Result:

Your experience pays at WGU.

Get moving on your career as an earth science teacher.

Curious young minds need passionate, inspired educators with the knowledge and skill to teach them about critical issues like conservation, renewable energy, mineral resources, and water availability. WGU's online geoscience degree is nationally recognized for preparing highly qualified educators with an advanced understanding of the structure and function of Earth's systems.

A serious shortage of STEM teachers nationwide means science teachers are in very high demand. WGU's B.A. Science (Geosciences 5–12) degree is an NCATE-accredited program that can prepare you to fill a critically important role in secondary education.

6%

Employment of middle and high school teachers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2014 to 2024 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

WGU has alumni teaching in schools across the country.

Graduates of WGU's online Teachers College have found meaningful, rewarding teaching careers in classrooms at:

Inclusionary K–12 classrooms

Middle/junior high schools

High schools

Private and charter schools

Impressive class of graduates.

Graduates of the WGU Teachers College include recipients of many professional honors, including:

Gates Millennium Scholars

Intel Grant for Mathematics and Technology

Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction Award

Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award

Association of Public Charter Schools Educator of the Year Award

Explore an earth sciences teaching career.

Get info on a geoscience teacher's salary, job outlook, work environment, and more.

WGU is a university committed to producing successful grads.

The ultimate test of your degree's value is whether it helps you become an outstanding employee and advance your career. Our happy grads—and their happy employers—confirm that WGU is the path to that kind of degree.

Happy employers

Happy grads

They're Prepared.

Employers said that WGU graduates were prepared for their jobs.

They Perform.

Employers rated WGU graduates' job performance as very good or excellent.

They Wow.

Employers said their WGU graduates have exceeded their expectations.

They're Confident.

Graduates said the majority of their coursework was related to their jobs.

Your Enrollment Counselor is there to help you make an informed decision.

The first step toward change can be the hardest—we get it. Your "welcoming committee" at WGU is made up of Enrollment Counselors, Admissions Specialists, and faculty members. Your initial interactions at WGU will be guided by an Enrollment Counselor who specializes in the programs you're interested in.

Admission requirements unique to this degree.

To be considered for this program, you must be able to show proof of a College Algebra course as well as a Natural Science course (in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, or Geosciences) which includes a lab with a grade of C or better.

We require these prerequisites because our research has determined that students entering these programs need to have demonstrated their ability to handle the rigors of both a difficult college-level mathematics course as well as a natural science course with a lab component.

WGU seeks to admit individuals who have the capacity and determination to complete a rigorous WGU degree program…and graduate. The admission process is designed to help you and the university reach an informed decision about your likelihood of success.

At WGU we want you to graduate, not just enroll. Consequently, not every applicant is admitted because not every individual is a good fit for WGU’s programs and competency-based, online academic model.

Programs begin the 1st of any month.

New students can begin their first term at the beginning of any month. So you can start when you’re ready, rather than rushing (or waiting) for fall or spring enrollment. There's no need to wait!